Maintenance of golf club irons



Dec. 12, 1967 J. T. HUNTER 3,357,219

MAINTENANCE OF GOLF CLUB IRONS Filed May 5, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 m v INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS J. T. HUNTER Dec. 12, 1967 MAINTENANCE OF GOLF CLUB IRONS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1965 INVENTOR. JAMES T. HUNTER BY V ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1967 J. T. HUNTER 3,357,219

MAINTENANCE OF GOLF CLUB IRONS Filed May 3, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

JAMES T. HUNTER ATTORNEYS J. T. HUNTER Dec. 12, 1967 MAINTENANCE OF GOLF CLUB IRONS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed May 3, 1965 INVENTOR.

JAMES T. HUNTER ATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1967 j HUNTER 3,357,219

Filed May 5, 1965 INVENTOR. 3/ JAM E s NTER BY fifl W M Dec. 12, 1967 J. T. HUNTER 3,357,219

MAINTENANCE 0F GOLF CLUB IRONS V INVENTOR. JAMES T. HUNTER ATTORNEYS United States Patent f 3,357,219 MAINTENANCE OF GOLF CLUB IRGNS James T. Hunter, Phoenix, Ariz., assignor of twenty-five percent to Wilbert G. Anderson Filed May 3, 1965, Ser. No. 452,623 13 Claims. (Ci. 72-35) My invention relates in general to the maintenance of golf club irons. It relates more in particular to a method of and means for determining inaccuracies in design structure whatever the cause, and associated means for correcting the inaccuracy found.

From a historical standpoint it appears that the first golf clubs used in Scotland were fabricated of wood. Considerable improvement was developed in golf clubs, however, beginning about the middle of the last century and extending up to about the time of World War I wherein wooden clubs were particularly designed for long-distance shots and a series of hand-forged, ironheaded clubs was designed for shorter shots. These irons were commonly referred to as the midiron, the mashie, and the niblick, with of course a putter commonly fabricated with an iron head, all the iron clubs being wooden shafted. The midiron was commonly formed with a loft of about 15 to 20 degrees, the mashie with a loft of approximately 35 degrees, and the so-called niblick with a loft in the nature of 45 degrees or slightly better. It was also a common practice to produce a somewhat rounded sole on the hand-forged club head so that the lie of the club was not of paramount importance. Existence of only the three ironsand this is true particularly with respect to the mashie and niblick-made it necessary for the golf player to alter his swing to a very great extent when using one of these clubs depending upon the loft of the ball desired, the distance desired, and other factors having to do with the rub of the green.

Some time after the turn of the century, experiments began to be made in the production of golf clubs in factories as the game became more popular and it also became the style to add additional clubs over and above the midiron, mashie and niblick, the first two being added going by the names of mid-mashie and mashie-niblick. From this beginning, a series of iron clubs running from numbers 1 to 9 began to be adopted with approximately three degrees difierence in loft from one club to another, all designed to have the same swing weight and each one resulting in the propulsion of the ball a greater distance as one went from the 9 iron to the 1 iron. Conversely, in going from the 1 iron to the 9 iron, the loft of the ball became greater so that in theory the golfer could at all times take a uniform swing at the ball and the exact distance which the ball would travel would be determined by the club which he employed. This difference, of course, would be somewhat controlled by the ability of the player, but given a player of certain ability, he would for example always obtain about 15 or 20 yards more in distance with a 5 iron than with a 6 iron. During about the same period, steel shafts began to be used and various types of materials began to be selected for the club heads. It is natural to the golfer with a proper golf swing to employ a more upright stance with a shorter club than with a longer club (these terms being used now in the sense that the longer clubs are the 1, 2, etc., and the shorter clubs, the more lofted clubs), so that to design a set of irons correctly, it was necessary that the length of the shaft vary as well. This meant that a 1 iron, for example, would have a flatter lie than a number 2 iron and so on seriatirn down to the 9 iron. With the advent of new techniques, new head styles, and factory production, it began to be the practice to make the sole of the club head much less rounded, so that the Patented Dec. 12, 1967 lie of the club became more and more important. The reason for this fact is obvious, because if the player would contact the toe of the club before the heel, or vice versa, his shot would suffer, whereas if the entire sole of the club engaged the fairway turf at the same time, there would be no tendency for the club to twist in the golfers hands. A more significant problem occurs if the lie is incorrect for a player, however, in that if a club, say a mashie, has to upright a lie for a golfer, its toe will be raised as he swings and the club face will be slanted toward the left. The opposite is true if the he should be too flat. When golfers had to use one iron for various distances, they understood and knew how to take advantage of such change of loft then to open or close their stance to compensate for the direction change. With modern clubs, however, this technique is almost a lost art.

Circumstances have caused practically all golf club manufacturers to standardize their clubs so far as length and lie are concerned. A number 5 iron, for example, will have the same length and the same lie" regardless of which manufacturer produces it. There are instances, however, in which, because of physical makeup of the golfer or some peculiarity of his swing or for one of several other reasons, clubs with a lie flatter than normal and clubs with a lie more upright than normal are also sometimes furnished, with correspondingly shorter and longer shafts, respectively. While all golf club manufacturers have maintained a difference of about 3 degrees in loft from one club in a series to another, there is some variation in loft standards of various manufacturers; but manufacturers publish specifications for the benefit of professionals and good golf players so that information as to loft is normally available. Generally speaking, manufacturers will provide a loft of somewhere between about 17 percent and 20 percent on a number 2 iron, and between about 45 percent and 48 percent for a number 9 iron, so the range of clubs available may run, for example, from a number 1 iron with about a 14 degree of loft to a number 9 iron having about a 48 degree of loft; but all such clubs are not usually within the line offered to the public by one manufacturer. There is a club now commonly used known as a wedge which may vary considerably in many respects among manufacturers, and While my invention makes it possible to check and modify a wedge, if desired, commonly wedges, like the mashies of old, are usually retained a considerable period of time by the users and they adjust themselves to different lengths of shots and dilferent conditions by their manipulation of a single wedge.

Notwithstanding the theoretical excellence of carefully designed and manufactured sets of iron clubs, golfers, and professionals consulted by them, continue to have a great deal of difliculty in determining what is wrong with a club with which they are not obtaining normally good or satisfactory results. No truly accurate means is available even to measure the specification characteristics of the club and certainly there is no satisfactory means of correcting an error in lie or loft even if it can be identified. Golfers, including professionals, continue to do a certain amount of crude, but usually ineffective, work in checking and correcting clubs. Usually the lie is determined by comparing it in a crude manner with the lie of a similar club deemed to be satisfactory. Since even a relatively flat-soled club may have some roundness, it is frequently difficult to tell exactly at what point the sole can be considered as placed in a true horizontal position so that it then becomes difiieult also to measure the lie or even to compare it with the lie of another club which is also being held in presumably hitting condition without a good guide as to accuracy. Loft is commonly checked by comparing a number 5 iron, for example, in the same set with a number 6 iron aud a number 4 iron, but at best this is a rather crude method and not too dependable. None of the measurement-by-eye schemes employed tells the observer exactly why there is, or appears to be, a deviation requiring correction, so that he does not know the best way of to make a correction. Sometimes a long pipe is placed over the shaft of the club while the head is held in a vise and an attempt made to correct some improper angle by this means. Not only are such correction methods extremely difiicult, but they are cumbersome, costly and lengthy, frequently introduce strains in many types of metals which must subsequently be relieved and cause more trouble, extend some metals past their elastic limit so that a weakened portion develops in the connection between the hosel and head, or, as frequently happens, overcorrect the fault, with the result that it is well-nigh impossible then to move the parts in an opposite direction to overcome the overcorrection.

The principal object of my invention is to analyze the structural characteristics of a golf club head, particularly a golf club head made of metal.

Another object is to determine with extreme accuracy both the lie and loft of a golf club head.

Another object is to check a golf club head against data provided in standard publications of a golf club manufacturer and determine deviations therefrom, whether such deviations should occur because of errors within the factory or because of accident or mistreatment after the golf club has been used.

A further object is to analyze golf club heads with respect to lie and loft with particular reference to the relationship of one club of a group to another.

A still'further object is the provision of means for analyzing a golf club head to'determine its characteristics particularly with respect to lie and loft so far as they may relate to the use of the club by a particular golfer.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for correcting either lie or loft of a golf club Without adversely affecting the characteristic of the club as to any other specification characteristic than the one corrected.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide equipment which can simultaneously and/ or successively determine the lie and loft of an iron golf club and correct either or both the lie or loft to reconcile them to the standards of a manufacturer or to suit them for better use by a golf player. Y

Other specific objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a desirable embodiment of equipment by means of which the objects of the present invention may be attained;

FIG. 2 is a slightly enlarged plan view;

FIG. 3 is a'slightly enlarged transverse sectional view, partly fragmentary and partly in elevation, taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7 7 of FIG. 2 but with the golf club head removed to clarify the showing of the parts which engage FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the disposition of the parts as the lie of a golf club is being corrected;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly schematic, illustrating the manner in which the measurement is taken, indicating that a correction for lie of the club sole is necessary;

FIG. 10 is an end view looking at the left-hand side of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 2, showing a structural feature of the head clamping mechanism;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 are isometric views of isolated parts of the club head clamping assembly;

FIG. 16 shows a chart which may be employed in connection with the use of the invention; and

FIGS. 17 and 18 are fragmentary diagrammatic elevational views showing the manner of determining, respectively, the angle of lie and angle of loft of a golf club.

Considering the present invention, it should be understood that there are very many reasons why golf clubs theoretically having certain specific dimensions may vary from the established standards. The error can occur in a factory. An error can 'occur because of factory imperfections but wherein the error does not appear until later, such as, without limiting the generality, by the relief of strains in metal and resulting warping. Errors can result from improper drilling of the shaft hole in the club hosel. Faulty inspection and poor quality control within a factory may also result in spasmodic unexplainable deviations, and there are still other reasons all having to do wit-h human failure. It should not be inferred that all new clubs are defective. Most sets of clubs received from a manufacturer reasonably meet the established specifications, but the occasional bad club in a set can cause a player to have trouble with all of the clubs in the set. Initially, perfect clubs are not infrequently subject to change, sometimes due entirely to the players actions and sometimes due to an inherent defect in the material of the club head which brings about failure as the club head is used.

Still other apparent specification discrepancies arise from the fact that a golfer may purchase a normal set of clubs when in fact he should have either clubs with a flatter lie or clubs with a more upright lie. It may even occur that a set of clubs on the whole are suitable to a player, but for some reason or another he finds an advantage, or the club professional does, in changing some characteristic of one or more clubs of the set. For example, a player may play better with a flatter than normal 9 iron.

Looking now to the drawings, where a very successful embodiment of my invention is shown, and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 7 thereof, the mechanism there shown comprises a base plate 21 and a mounting plate 22 spaced and mutually supported with respect to each other by means of a plurality of interconnecting columns 23, the assembly forming a rigid frame. Any usual means (no shown) may be used to hold the base plate 21 and mounting plate 22 to the ends of the columns 23. While the base plate 21 is not shown as provided with anything except a flat-bottomed surface, it may be suitably finished for level support on a workbench as desired. It is not necessary that the base plate 21 actually be fastened to any kind of support, because the apparatus, suitably fabricated, may be portable.

Means is provided for mounting a golf club by gripping its head firmly in a vise-like adjusting clamping assembly, indicated generally by the reference character 24. The clamping assembly includes a clamping assembly base plate 26 of circular cross section and having a plurality of integral projecting cars 27 uniformly spaced for mounting through which cap screws 28 are extended for attachment of the clamping assembly base plate 24 to the mounting plate 22. Integral with the clamping assembly base plate 2.6 is a cylindrical support 29 on which a ring 31 is adapted to rotate. For reasons which will be explained, the ring 31 has an extension, indicated generally by the reference character 32, and the mounting ring 29 has top and bot tom recesses 33 and 34, respectively, spaced from each other and running circumferentially of the axis of the supporting ring 29. A head-supporting cylinder 36 sets down inside of the supporting or mounting ring 29 and is rotatable with respect thereto. The golf club head supporting cylinder 36 has a circumferentially running slot 37 in line with a hole 35 in the supporting or mounting ring 29 and a fastening screw 38 (FIGS. 3 and 13) extends through the slot 37 but is non-rotatable with respect thereto. A locking lever 39 secured against the mounting ring 29 exteriorly of the clamping assembly holds the headsupporting cylinder 36 in any position to which it is adjusted. The cylinder 36 is also provided with a pair of vertically aligned holes 41 (FIG. 13) through which said clamping members extend, as will be made manifest. The ring 31 and head-supporting cylinder 36 are supported to rotate together by any suitable means, such as suitable screws 42 (FIG. 1). Within the supporting cylinder 36 I also provide a chordal reinforcing and club head supporting plate member 43 providing a definite mounting surface as will be explained. A bracing plate member 44 is also provided, and both plates are attached to the headsupporting cylinder 36 and to each other as by welding.

Looking now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a wedge strip 45 with a pair of club-engaging projections 46 is suitably secured at one edge of the plate 43 as by screws 47 (see FIG. 3). This structure produces an anvil-like recess between said plate 43 and wedge strip 45 to receive the bottom edge of a club head 40. The angular sole or bottom edge of the club head thus engages in a V-shaped recess and the club-engaging projections 46 so as to lock the head in position when it is suitably held with the sole of the club in vertical position as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 3.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3, 11 and 12, clamping screw 48 with a suitable exterior crossbar 49 extends through the ring 31 and is threaded in the headsupporting cylinder 36. It has a forward ball 58 fitting into a socket of a rocking clamp 51 with top and bottom clubengaging protuberances 171 and 172 adapted to engage opposite to the club-engaging projections 46 and in a particular spot on the club head, as will be explained. The rocking clamp 51 engages the top edge of the club head as clearly shown in FIG. 3, and since the top edge of the club head is angled with respect to the sole of the club, and this angle may vary from club to club, means is provided to permit the rocking clamp 51 to adjust itself to i the specific angle formed, but still causing the club-engaging protuberances 171 and 172 to engage the club opposite to the projections 46 at all times.

Looking now particularly to FIGS. 11 and 12, both in connection with FIG. 2 on which the section line 1111 is shown, as well as FIG. 3 showing the position of the rocking clamp 51, a channel 173 is secured to the back face of plate 43 by means of screws 174, and this channel is aligned with a horizontal slot 176 in mounting plate 43. A pivot member 177 has a shank extending through the slot 176, and a threaded projection extending within the channel on which a guiding head 178 is firmly secured. A head, as shown particularly in FIGS. 11 and 12, holds the rocking clamp 51 in position so that a portion of it is always aligned with the slot 176 and the channel in the channel member 173 within which the guiding head 178 is free to move. Because of this sliding arrangement, the rocking clamp 51 will always occupy the same relative position with respect to the golf club head when it is properly inserted, and regardless of which protuberance 171 or 172 first engages the top edge of the club head, the rocking clamp 51 will always adjust itself to the existing angle and will engage the club head opposite to the projections 46.

It is of course obvious that clubs will vary in length and, indeed, in the shape of the toe of the club. Furthermore, without a bottom support, the club being slanted, it would tend to be forced downwardly by the action of the rocking clamp 51 unless a bottom support were provided. For this purpose, I provide a cam 53 rotatably supported on the plate 43 at 54. The cam 53 has a top surface adapted to adjust itself to the shape of the toe of the club, and a concave bottom surface under which an actuating block 56 with a matching cam surface 57 is adapted to ride. A threaded shaft 58 is rotatable by means of an exterior knurled nut 59 and, being threaded in the wall of the head-supporting cylinder 36, and having a swivelable enlarged and rounded end 61 (FIG. 3) set in a recess on the block 56, the block may be adjusted forwardly or backwardly along the bottom edge of the cam 53 to place the cam in suitable supporting position with respect to the toe of the club head. Once positioned, there is no possibility of the club head being forced downwardly accidentally regardless of the manipulations to which it may be subjected.

From the description above, it is obvious that the club head is supported by the mechanism so far described at its toe, at its sole, at its top edge, and at its face, the latter resting against the plate 43. It should be noted by reference to FIG. 3 particularly, that the club head is preferably supported so that the hosel 62 is well above the head proper. This arrangement not only produces a true reading, but assures the operator of the equipment that when bending takes place it will be confined to the hosel area and will not distort that area of the club forming a connection between the hosel and club head proper. I have found, however, that or absolute rigidity, which is desired for best results, it is advisable to support the head firmly from its back face. The back face is shown in full lines in FIG. 3 without extensive shading; those skilled in the art will understand that conventionally a club head is somewhat thicker through its sole or bottom portion and thinner along its top edge. This structure provides a recessed back as a rule but at least a back of such shape that it is advantageous in adding to the rigidity of the support which may be obtained.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 7, and 13 through 15, the rotating ring 31 is broken at the extension 32, the extension 32 comprising two generally parallel but slightly converging side members with an integral end piece 66 with a boss 67 in which is threaded an adjusting screw 68 with a handle 69. A crosspiece 71 has an outwardly facing socket into which a ball 72 on the end of the threaded shaft 68 extends so that the crosspiece 71 can have a rocking motion in a vertical plane around the ball 72. A pair of generally cup-shaped connectors 73 have ears 74 projecting into split ends of the cross member 71 and pivot pins 76 are peened over at their ends to hold the cup-shaped members 73 and cross member 71 in assembled relation but in which they also are free to rotate with respect to each other around the pivots 76. Threaded inserts 77 are provided with club head engaging rounded ends or balls 78 on their inner extremities; that is to say, toward the axis of the supporting cylinder 36, so that they are free to engage the back of the club head 48. Even longitudinally of the club head as it appears in FIG. 3; that is to say, along a vertical plane, differences in thickness of the club head will be encountered. The members 73 are supported in slidable relation in openings 79 in the supporting cylinder 36, so that with the cross member 71 in pivotal relation to inserts 77, the balls 78 can be advanced into club engagement, together or differentially.

As the club head is gripped, the entire gripping assembly adjusts itself freely to all club head irregularities, whatever they may be. The club is thus firmly clamped on five sides, and since the head flares outwardly toward its toe, there is no possibility of the head moving upwardly in the direction of the hostel. No clamping action from the hosel end of the club, therefore, is required. I do not refer to the specific details of how to produce the various parts described nor the exact or best manner of their assembly. Conventional machinery methods may be used, starting of course with suitably shaped stock to decrease the maximum amount of machining necessary. In passing it might be noted the projection 32. is provided with a cover 81 flanged to hold it in place and secured to the extension 32 by any suitable means such as ordinary machine screws 82 (note particularly FIGS. 1, 2 and 7).

An important feature of the clamping mechanism may be pointed out in connection with the projections 46 and the club-engaging protuberances 171 and 172. As will be more apparent from a subsequent part of this specification, the center portion of the club face is ordinarily scored, and this is intended to be the ball-striking surface. This surface is sometimes referred to as the sweet spot but whatever it may be called, it embraces an area usually spaced from both the toe and hosel end of the club. At both sides of this striking surface, or sweet spot, even modern clubs may be rounded or shaped in various ways, and there may even be some slight rounding of the sole at the sweet spot. This latter rounding, however, will be on a very long radius and will be uniform. By gripping the club head securely at opposite sides of the striking portion of the face or sweet spot, an accurate positioning of the club head is made possible. While there may be some slight variations from club to club and from manufacturer to manufacturer, a fair amount of uniformity occurs in the width of the sweet spot, so that the projections 46 and protuberances 171 and 172 may be placed substantially exactly opposite each other, and so related to the club head that they engage on opposite sides of the beforementioned sweet spot.

Associated with the head-gripping assembly and utilizable to determine lie and loft of a club head accurately, are a number of appurtenances whose function is primarily measurement. Let us look first to the method of determining loft. For this purpose, reference may be had first to FIG. 18. Here the hosel 62 of the club 48 with a suitable shaft 83 is shown in a vertical plane, although at opposite angles, as shown in FIG. 16, it will define an angle to the vertical. To determine loft, the sole 84 of club 40 is placed on a flat horizontal surface with the sole, and club generally, in the position which it will accupy when the player is striking the ball. In the present instance, assumption is made that the club being tested is a iron, and its face 86 under these conditions should be at an angle to the vertical. We shall assume a standard is used by a manufacturer in which the angle of loft is 35 degrees. In FIG. 18, a vertical broken line A defines the perpendicular and a broken angular line B is in the same plane as the face 16. The angle between the two lines A and B, always an acute angle in the case of all clubs running from 1 to 9 at least, is the angle of loft. In FIG. 17, the club head theoretically is setting; in the same position as the club in FIG. 18 and we are looking directly at the face 86 with its conventional score lines 87. Here we have a horizontal line C and an upwardly extending angular line D which can be assumed to be the axis of the hosel and the axis of the shaft 83. In FIGS. 17 and 18, shaft 83 is shown projecting outside the hosel and broken scale 88 is shown on the drawingsand is seen best in FIG. 4. This scale is marked in degrees shown by the numbers 10, 20, etc., through 90 (for convenience), with a zero position indicated at 8 9. The scale may be a brass plate separately prepared and mounted on the clamping assembly mounting plate 26 by suitable means. The exact placing of the plate for proper calibration will be referred to hereinbelow.

A sloping support arm 91 is secured to the mounting plate 22 by means of an integral bracket 92. Looking particularly at FIG. 6, a solid pivot member 93 is supported on the upper outwardly extending end of the arm 91 by means of a special pivot screw 94, the face of the arm 91 being finished flat to permit easy rotation, and a suitable bearing 96 being provided. An upwardly extending indicator arm 97 is normally held in vertical position by a weight 98 suspended from a rod 99 secured to the pivot member 93 at a position directly opposite the indicator arm 97.

The mechanism heretofore described provides combination features which have not been available to the golf professional in the past, and it is believed have not been away. It will be noted that the club hosel and shaft slope backwardly toward the player, this slope being greatest in the long clubs and less in the shorter clubs. The angle between the two broken lines C and D is an indication of the lie. Although, from a practical standpoint, the angle at either side of the broken line D could be used to measure lie, it is conventional to employ that angle representing less than degrees; that is to say, the acute angle formed generallybetween the shaft and fairway. Thus, as may be seen by a quick glance at FIG. 16, the angle of lie will usually run somewhere between 54 degrees and 6 5 degrees, and on normal lie clubs, 56 to 64 degrees if the 1 iron is included.

Considering now first the loft, it will be noted that a available even in golf manufacturing establishments. By means of this part of the equipment, the lie and loft of a club may be determined accurately. I propose to describe the functioning of this particular part of the apparatus before describing the means incorporated in the apparatus for making desired corrections.

Looking particularly at FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 (and reference may also be made to FIG. 16), the face 86 of the golf club lies flat against the inside face of vertical plate 43 and, of course, is held firmly in such position by the clamping mechanism shown. When the head is clamped in this position, the shaft of the club will point upwardly, slanted toward the right when one is standing in front of the machine, such as indicated for example in FIG. 8. The scale 83 is so positioned with respect to an indicating arm 100 (note particularly FIG. 15) that when the indicator or pointer 100 is aligned with the zero mark 89 on the scale 88, the face of the club head will be substantially aligned with the front face of the indicator arm 97. Actually, there will be a slight differential because the purpose is to measure the direction of the shaft along its axis, and allowance for the diameter of the shaft is made in placing the support arm 91 and the pivot pin 94. Assuming for purposes of explanation that one is checking a 5 iron and that it is supposed to have a loft of 35 degrees, then if the loft is somewhat greater than 35 degrees, the shaft of the club will fail to reach the indicator arm 7 when the indicator or pointer 100 is placed at 35 degrees. This condition is indicated in FIG. 1. On the other hand, if the loft is less than 35 degrees, then the indicator arm 97 will occupy a position such as to rotate the indicator arm on its axis in a clockwise direction a distance equivalent to the degree of error in the loft of the club being measured.

Since the sole of the club is held in a truly vertical position by the clamping mechanism described, and since the lie of the club is determined by the angle which the shaft defines with respect to a straight line running through the bottom edge of the sole, the lie of the club can be read directly from the indicator arm 97. Again assuming that We are'checking a normal 5 iron, by consulting chart 16 or other data of equivalent nature which the club professional may have available, he will find that the normal lie of the number 5 iron is 60 degrees. In the enlarged, fragmentary and partially schematic figure shown in FIG. 9, it is apparent that the intended angle measured is only 59 degrees, a relatively great discrepancy possibly from ordinary errors found, but suitably shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention. In reading the lie, at professional or other operator of the equipment may either leave the club head adjusted to the loft which it is supposed to have, or he may adjust the position of the scale slightly so that the shaft 83 just comes in contact with the front face of the indicator arm 97.

Looking now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 5, 8 and 10, the mounting plate 22 is provided with a pair of mounting brackets 101 and 102, to which arms 103 and 104 are pivotally supported by means of suitably supported stub shafts 106 and 107. Arms 103 and 104 are interconnected by a bar 109 which causes the arms 103 and 104, bar 109 and other appurtenances to function as a unit when they are pivoted with respect to their supports.

As the left-hand portion of FIG. 8 clearly shows, arms 103 and 104 are tubular and their open ends have projecting into them telescoping and supporting rods 111 and 112 which are held in position with respect to the arms by set screws 113 and 114. Housings 116 and 117, respectively, are integral with the rods 111 and 112 to furnish support for a rotatable shaft 118 which has a guard 119 around most of its periphery, the guard being engaged also in the housings 116 and 117. The shaft 118 has a threaded portion 121 on which a .block 122 (see particularly FIG. 1) is adapted to travel in either direction depending upon the direction of rotation of the shaft 118. The block 122 is surmounted by an upwardly projecting tool-engaging protuberance 123 which is adapted to move an actuating tool, indicated generally by the reference character 124, in a manner which will be explained.

An end anchoring plate 126 is suitably supported on the mounting plate 22, a pillow block 127 participating in its support. The previously described block 102 also acts as a partial support, because shaft 128 around which arm 104 pivots extends through and has its support partially in the block 102 and partially in the pillow block 127. Arm 104 is pivoted to shaft 128 by means of an integral bracket 129, and this integral bracket is spaced from a pair of sprocket gears 131 and 132 by suitable means, such as shown, to maintain the entire assembly in alignment. At the opposite side of the subassembly, the block 101 carries a shaft 134 for pivotally supporting a bracket 136 integral with the arm 103.

It will be noted from the arrangement of the two shafts 128 and 134, and their alignment, that the entire assembly heretofore described, except of course the anchoring plate 126, can be rotated as a unit about the axis of the two shafts. To hold this assembly or subassembly in a position to which it may be adjusted, arm 104 carries a block 137 which has a threaded opening to receive a pin 138 on a base 139 of positioning arm 141. The pin 138 extends through an arcuate slot 142 (see particularly FIGS. 1 and having as its center the axis of the shafts about which the arms 103 and 104 and the entire assembly rotate. While any suitable anchoring means may be employed, I have obtained good results by using relatively long-pitch threads together with a relatively thick gasket 143 of friction material so that only a slight rotation of the pin 138 by means of the arm 141 in a counterclockwise direction will loosen the assembly and permit it to be adjusted, and an equally short movement will be required to anchor it firmly in a newly adjusted position.

During the measurement stage of the process of checking and adjusting a golf club iron, no power whatsoever need be employed. To bend the hosel of the club, however, a firm, but slow, application of force is necessary and can be accomplished best by means of a uniformly moving adequate source of power. For this purpose I employ an electric motor 146 suitably secured as by means of cap screws 147 to the base plate 21. The motor shaft, as shown, carries a sprocket gear 148 and this in turn engages and drives a sprocket chain 149 which in turn is in functional contact with the sprocket gear 131 on shaft 128. Rotation of sprocket 131, of course, also produces a rotation of the sprocket gear 132 and this in turn drives a sprocket chain 151 engaging a sprocket gear 152 integral with shaft 118.

I have already explained that if the indicator 100 is set at zero on the scale 88, the face of plate 43 will be aligned in a certain way with the indicator arm 97. It

10 follows that if the loft of a club is to be 35 degrees, the shaft of the club will just come in contact with the indicator arm 97 if the indicator or pointer is set at 35 degrees. If the loft is less than it should be on a particular club being checked, the setting on the scale 88 having been made properly, the shaft of the club will not lie along the front face of the indicator arm 97, but there will be a spacing such as FIGS. 1 and 2 show. If the loft is less than desired, the arm 97 will be forced backwardly slightly, and this distance can also be determined.

To correct for incorrect loft, the machine of the present invention makes possible the bending of the hosel to bring the shaft to the proper position for the desired loft of the club face with respect to the axis of the shaft. This is done by means of the tool 124 previously identified. As the several views of the drawings show, tool 124 comprises a relatively long straight shank 156 with a hook 157 at its bottom end adapted to engage around the shaft to exercise a pulling action. An offset portion 158, which may be an ordinary rod such as that from which the shank 156 is formed, is suitably secured to the shank 156, as by welding, near the end of such shank. The free end of the offset portion is recessed in one plane so as to engage firmly without slipping against that rounded face of the hosel which faces the free end of the tool 124. In other words, hook 157 engages one side of the hosel, and the recess in the offset portion 158 engages the opposite side of the hosel. This relationship of hook and recess could, of course, be changed or merely reversed but I have found that very good results are obtained by means of the particular structure which I show. The exact part of the hosel to be bent can thus be controlled quite accurately so that that part of the club head which comprises a connection between the head proper and the hosel as a rule will not be affected in any way at all.

When bending the hosel to correct for loft, it is essential to apply the bending action in such a manner as not to change the lie of the club at the same time. As FIGS. 1, 5 and 10 particularly show, the entire assembly, including the traversing adjusting block 122, is placed in a relatively flat position when correction for loft is to be made. The equipment is so designed that when tool 124 is placed in the position shown in FIG. 1, the tool 124 should just engage along shaft 109 as a guide and support and then placed on the proper side of the lug 123. Such positioning may not occur because there is always the possibility that a hosel has not been bored with sufficient accuracy. In such a case, the actual hosel itself may have the right angle, but the shaft angle may be out. If one were merely to bend the hosel in the manner described, a change in the lie might simultaneously occur. While correction can be made, I prefer not to introduce a new error While making a desired adjustment.

By providing an indicating scale 161 near the bottom end of the arcuate opening 142, the operator of the equipment can sometimes discover immediately whether or not the hosel boring is out of line. Since improper boring may occur at any angle, the scale 161 cannot be constructed with a high degree of accuracy but can only be an indicator. The scale and behavior of the shaft as the hosel is bent should be observed as the bending action starts, because if there should be any tendency for the hosel or shaft to move either up or down, correction can be made by adjusting the position of the arm 109 and lug 123. When the shaft has been brought into contact with the front face of a vertical indicator arm 97, and the same lie is read on the indicator 162, then the operator knows that the proper adjustment for loft has been made without introducing an error in the angle of lie.

Correction for lie is accomplished with less caution, as a rule, if the operator keeps in mind the basic structure of the golf club and the basic characteristics of the machine. Looking at FIG. 5 it will be noted that a zero point 163 is shown at the upper end of the arcuate opening 142. When the inner edge of arm 104 is aligned with the verl1 tical line associated with this zero indicator, the bar 109 will lie approximately in a vertical plane. When a golf club is gripped by the tool 124 and the indicator 100 set to the correct loft figure on scale 88 for the club being checked, then the axis of the shaft will lie in a vertical plane. The parts at this time are in the position shown in FIGS. 8 and 10. We have previously assumed a number 5 iron with a desired lie of 60 degrees, but in which the -measurement for lie was assumed to be 59 degrees. By

bending the hosel straight downwardly in a vertical plane to lower the shaft and increase the angle of lie to 60 degrees (looking at FIG. 9), we would then make the neceson the characteristics of clubs, both so far as an entire set is concerned and so far as an individual club is concerned. It also gives him the means for making a correction in an attempt to improve the performance which a player gets from an individual club, and moveover, permits the return of the club to the original condition if, for any reason, such course should be. indicated as desirable. Golf clubs are formed of various materials, and some materials can be bent more readily than others without causing permanent damage to the metal. Generally speaking, no more than two or three, or at the most four, degrees of bend are necessary in any given case to produce all of the corrections which will be required, and most irons are formed of metals which will permit this much bending. Normally, since there are only about three degrees 7 difference in loft from one club number to another, the

amount of bending to change loft will not be very great.

Sometimes the lie of a club will cause a great deal of trouble to a golfer without his realizing it. Golf shops maintained at golf courses and stores normally carry socalled normal lie clubs, and many golfers will purchase these clubs, having no idea that with his particular makeup he should have either a more upright club or a club with a flatter lie. By means of the present invention, a test can very readily and quickly be made of this factor when a new set of clubs is being purchased, not making it necessary to either depend upon the judgment of the professional or the less-dependable judgment of the player. Frequently, a player will blame his problems on a good set of clubs, when the only problem is that he purchased clubs with the Wrong lie for his build and swing. This possibility is lessened greatly with my invention.

One operating procedure for professionals is to provide a small chart such as shown in P16. 16. Here, as shown, the chart indicated generally by the reference character 176, is divided into two portions, one portion indicating a set of standards which will be the same, as a rule, regardless of the club maker who produces the club, and another section for. the use of the professional operating the machine to write down the findings which he determines on his tests and the corrections made. If desired, also, a column can also be provided indicating the standard loft for each club, but since loft usually varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, the chart will either have to be produced by the manufacturer or the appropriate figures written in by the professional. When a professional checks a group of clubs, the entire right-hand portion of the chart would be filled in. Frequently, however, no correction is indicated, because the reading for lie and loft will be found acceptable.

A study of the drawings shows clearly that the embodiment of the invention shown is built along a horizontal design, with the club shaft normally projecting upwardly and at an angle between the vertical and horizontal. For right-handed clubs, this is a convenient arrangement. Indeed, it provides means by which the equipment may be adjusted for use with left-handed 'clubs with onlyrninor revisions and interchange of parts. Important, whether dealing with left or right-handed clubs, is the holding of the sole in vertical relation and the provision of a flat vertical measurement face against which the face of the club may .be clamped firmly, preferably by clamping the club in two. spaced positions above and below the sweet spot as desired/To measure loft, the present embodiment rotates the club head with respect to the indicator scale, but any means for providing relative movement between these members is functionally acceptable.

While very many'club head clamping means and club head rotating means may be employed, I have obtained particularly good results by the use of cylindrical frame members with mutually aligned axes, because they permit me to obtain very rigid clamping, and free movement, without the development of excessive weight.

Terms as vertical, horizontal, etc., are used in a relative sense, it being obvious that the machine as a whole may have almost any posture and still perform its functions so long as the functional relationships of the parts remain unchanged. It should be clear, also, that when the club is properly clamped in accordance with my invention, both loft and lie are determined with respect to a specific point in space. In the embodiment shown, this point is a definite spot on the front face of the indicator arm 97. In other embodiments of the invention, such a fixed point can be predetermined in a number of ways, as those skilled in the art will understand.

I have shown and described my invention in detail so that those skilled in the art may understand the manner of practicing the same, but the scope of the invention is defined by the claims.

I claim: I

1. In a golf club maintenance apparatus,

(a) means defining a flat surface,

(b) means for clamping a club head face against said surface, whereby to cause'said golf club shaft to be projected at an angle to said head,

(c) means adjustable to indicate loft and lie angles of said golf club, 7

((1) means for imparting relative rotating movement between said club face and surface on the one hand and said indicator arm through an are equivalent to the. design loft of the club head,

(e) whereby the lie of the club may be read directly from the scale on said indicator armand the loft determined by the space relation between said arm and the golf club shaft.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said clamping means supports the club head sole in vertical position, and said indicator arm is supported on a horizontal pivot v and weighted to hold said arm normally in a vertical position.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a clamp in the form of a shank shaped at one end to engage the club head hosel, and power-operated means disposed in a generally horizontal position for moving said shank in a direction to correct for deviation in loft.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 including a clamp in the form of a shank shaped at one end to engage the club head hosel, and power-operated, means disposed in a generally vertical position to move said shank in a vertical plane to correct for deviations in the lie of the club.

5. In apparatus of the character described,

(a) means providing a flat supporting surface for a club head face,

(b) wedge means engaging two points on the club sole to support said sole in vertical position,

(c) means disposed at an angle to said wedge means to clamp said club sole against said wedge means,

(d) adjustable means engaging the club heads back face to clamp said face against said surface, and

(e) means conforming generally to the shape of the clubs toe for a plying upward pressure against the same.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, including (f) a vertically disposed indicator arm,

(g) means for rotating said club head while so clamped about a center point disposed from said supports, and

(h) a protractor-like scale having a zero position and angle-indicating position, said scale and center point mutually disposed with respect to each other that a pointer rotated with the club head is at zero position when said club head face and indicator arm are aligned, and said club face is disposed in a radial plane identified with an angle corresponding to a correct club loft when said pointer indicates such angle on said scale.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, including (f) a vertically disposed indicator arm,

(g) means for rotating said club head while so clamped about a center point disposed from said supports,

(h) a protractor-like scale having a zero position and angle-indicating position, said scale and center point mutually disposed with respect to each other that a pointer rotated with the club head is at zero position when said club head face and indicator arm are aligned, and said club face is disposed in a radial plane identified with an angle corresponding to a correct club loft when said pointer indicates such angle on said scale, and

(i) a scale on said indicator arm showing the lie of a club head when its club face is adjusted to an angle corresponding to its loft.

8. In apparatus of the character described,

(a) means providing a plane of reference corresponding to zero loft of a golf club head,

(b) means for clamping a golf club head with its face at a predetermined angle to said reference plane corresponding to the loft of said club, so that said club shaft projects upwardly at an acute angle to horizontal, and

(c) an indicator arm with a scale from which lie can be read, said arm generally aligned with said shaft when said club face occupies said predetermined angle.

9. In apparatus of the character described,

(a) means providing a plane of reference corresponding to zero loft of a golf club head,

(b) means for clamping a golf club head with its face at a predetermined angle to said reference plane corresponding to the loft of said club, so that said club shaft projects upwardly at an acute angle to horizontal,

(c) a horizontal pivot aligned with said zero reference plane, and

(d) a weighter arm in vertical position in a path defined by a club head as its head face is moved for clamping at said predetermined angle,

(e) said shaft being in approximate engagement with a front face of said arm when the actual loft of the club corresponds to said predetermined angle.

10. In golf club maintenance apparatus,

(a) a frame,

(b) means on the frame for clamping a club head with its sole in vertical position, and the club shaft projecting upwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal,

(c) a scale showing angles of loft including a zero angle,

(d) an indicator supported in a plane corresponding to a zero angle, and

(e) means associated with said indicator for indicating deviations from loft and lie when said clamped club face is moved to a plane corresponding to its specification loft as shown by said scale of angles.

11. In golf club maintenance apparatus,

(a) a frame,

(b) means on the frame for clamping a club head with its sole in vertical position, and the club shaft projecting upwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal,

(c) a scale showing angles of loft including a zero angle,

(d) an indicator supported in a plane corresponding to a zero angle,

(e) means associated with said indicator for indicating deviations from loft and lie when said clamped club face is moved to a plane corresponding to its specification loft as shown by said scale of angles, and

(f) means for bending said club head at its hosel to modify loft and lie as shown by said indicator.

12. In golf club maintenance apparatus,

(a) a frame,

(b) means on the frame for clamping a club head with its sole in vertical position, and the club shaft projecting upwardly at an acute angle to the horizontal,

(c) a scale showing angles of loft including a zero angle,

(d) an indicator supported in a plane corresponding to a zero angle,

(e) means associated with said indicator for indicating deviations from loft and lie when said clamped club face is moved to a plane corresponding to its specification loft as shown by said scale of angles,

(f) an angle correction assembly hinged to said frame to assume a generally horizontal or vertical position,

(g) a rotatable drive screw having a shaft-engaging block threaded thereon, and

(h) power means for driving said screw in either direction,

(i) whereby a shank having a clamp at one end secured to a club head hosel may be operated in either a generally horizontal plane or vertical plane to change loft or lie of the golf club as desired.

13. In apparatus of the class described,

(a) a frame,

(b) a pair of spaced arms supported on aligned pivots near a rear portion of the frame,

(c) a bar interconnecting said arms to cause them to move as a unit,

((1) a power screw having its ends pivoted at ends of said arms,

(e) a block threaded to traverse said screw as it is rotated, said block having an upstanding lug for engaging a shank of a hosel clamping tool,

(f) means on the frame for clamping a golf club head with its sole in vertical position and its shaft at an angle to the horizontal but in a plane generally aligned with the axis of said clamping means,

(g) power means for rotating said screw in either direction, and

(h) means for retaining said arm and bar unit in either a vertical position or partly horizontal position while said screw is being rotated in either direction, whereby, by means of said clamp and the engagement of its shank by said lug, the hosel of a club may be bent to increase or decrease loft or lie.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,859,406 5/1932 Meighan 72-459 RICHARD I HERBST, Primary Examiner. RONALD D. GREFE, Examiner. 

1. IN A GOLF CLUB MAINTENANCE APPARATUS, (A) MEANS DEFINING A FLAT SURFACE, (B) MEANS FOR CLAMPING A CLUB HEAD FACE AGAINST SAID SURFACE, WHEREBY TO CAUSE SAID GOLF CLUB SHAFT TO BE PROJECTED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID HEAD, (C) MEANS ADJUSTABLE TO INDICATE LOFT AND LIE ANGLES OF SAID GOLF CLUB, (D) MEANS FOR IMPARTING RELATIVE ROTATING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID CLUB FACE AND SURFACE ON THE ONE HAND AND SAID INDICATOR ARM THROUGH AN ARC EQUIVALENT TO THE DESIGN LOFT OF THE CLUB HEAD, (E) WHEREBY THE LIE OF THE CLUB MAY BE READ DIRECTLY FROM THE SCALE ON SAID INDICATOR ARM AND THE LOFT DETERMINED BY THE SPACE RELATION BETWEEN SAID ARM AND THE GOLF CLUB SHAFT. 